Help identifying the nature of these defects

[robonfilm]

Home developed Fuji acros, rodinal 1+50 shoot with Canon F1.
Need help identifying the nature of these streaks. Some of them almost look like shutter capping to me (or light leaks), and some others like development issues. I recently acquired the camera and I’m taking it on vacation soon, so I’d like to know if there is any issue with it that I should know of. Out of 36 exposures just 4 or 5 seem to be affected.
Any suggestions?

 

[Don_ih]

#3 looks like a dev problem.
#2 looks like a shutter problem.
#1 looks like it could be a light leak or a development problem. (Maybe uneven shutter travel?) (I don't see a light leak there, actually)

Definitely check the shutter, if you can. It might just be doing that at a certain speed - but it's still a problem.

 

[TomR55]

I am certainly no expert, but many on this forum are:

Do you see any evidence of washout along the rebate area? My understanding is the light leaks tend to wash across the entire film plane is (nearly) predictable patterns.

Have you changed your agitation pattern? I ask because sometimes over-agitation can produce some of these effects?

That only five or six frames seem impacted suggests a shutter problem (as you’d suggested). The good news is that others on the forum will likely provide good guidance … I hope that you have the time to CLA this camera before any critical work! That will, at least, rule out the more problematic possibilities.

 

[robonfilm]

Yeah, I'm leaning toward shutter problems too. Unfortunately, I can't remember the camera setting when I shoot these (next time I'm gonna write them down).

It was my understanding that shutter capping results in dark lines at the beginning and/or the end of the frame because the curtains fail to separate, so I don't understand how it can happen multiple times at random spots within the frame. So I can see how #2 could show the sign of shutter capping, but I can't explain the streaks on #1. Has it happened to you before?

 

[TomR55]

Yeah, I'm leaning toward shutter problems too. Unfortunately, I can't remember the camera setting when I shoot these (next time I'm gonna write them down).

It was my understanding that shutter capping results in dark lines at the beginning and/or the end of the frame because the curtains fail to separate, so I don't understand how it can happen multiple times at random spots within the frame. So I can see how #2 could show the sign of shutter capping, but I can't explain the streaks on #1. Has it happened to you before?

Actually, I had something similar to this happen to one of my Leica M4-P bodies a while back. It “intermittently” registered partial or NO exposure on random frames. It required that the master roller be replaced (along with the small curtain) which was not an inexpensive repair.

 

[robonfilm]

Actually, I had something similar to this happen to one of my Leica M4-P bodies a while back. It “intermittently” registered partial or NO exposure on random frames. It required that the master roller be replaced (along with the small curtain) which was not an inexpensive repair.

Sorry to hear that, I hope your Leica works well now. Anyways that's an interesting (yet frustrating) problem. I guess I'll have to try more rolls to be sure what the problem is.

 

[TomR55]

Sorry to hear that, I hope your Leica works well now. Anyways that's an interesting (yet frustrating) problem. I guess I'll have to try more rolls to be sure what the problem is.

Yes, it’s frustrating. For a while, I would make one extra exposure for every “keeper” (or what I thought might be a keeper at the site). I’ve owned these cameras (twin M4-Ps) since the late 1980s with two or three CLAs between then and now, so I cannot really complain. I had a Canon FTb many years ago. I loved that camera. IIRC, I gave it to my younger brother who had expressed an interest in photography … .

 

[koraks]

In the first image, what's odd is that there appears to be both a horizontal and a vertical density variation:

On the second example, it's a little less clear what's going on:

I'm not sure whether the lower density (in the negative) band on the right hand side is curved or has a straight (but slanted) edge.

#3 has development streaking, most likely due to insufficient agitation issues at an early stage of development.

I can see how a shutter capping issue could explain #2. #1 is a tricky one; I'm not sure how that could be explained. Is something stuck to the shutter curtains; some kind of debris?

 

[robonfilm]

In the first image, what's odd is that there appears to be both a horizontal and a vertical density variation:
View attachment 375476

On the second example, it's a little less clear what's going on:
View attachment 375477
I'm not sure whether the lower density (in the negative) band on the right hand side is curved or has a straight (but slanted) edge.

#3 has development streaking, most likely due to insufficient agitation issues at an early stage of development.
View attachment 375478

I can see how a shutter capping issue could explain #2. #1 is a tricky one; I'm not sure how that could be explained. Is something stuck to the shutter curtains; some kind of debris?

Thank you very much for taking the time to edit the photos and inspect them thoroughly!

Aside from #3, I agree that all the photos seem to suggest something was in front of the film. I inspected the camera, and the curtains appear in rather good condition, as it was rarely used by the previous owner, who was not a professional (pretty rare for F1 owners of the time).
I guess (as stupid as it might sound) something could have also been in front of the lens, maybe some kind of web I don't recall being there. I guess I'll have to further test fast shutter speeds!

 

[robonfilm]

Yes, it’s frustrating. For a while, I would make one extra exposure for every “keeper” (or what I thought might be a keeper at the site). I’ve owned these cameras (twin M4-Ps) since the late 1980s with two or three CLAs between then and now, so I cannot really complain. I had a Canon FTb many years ago. I loved that camera. IIRC, I gave it to my younger brother who had expressed an interest in photography … .

Sweet camera the FTb, very similar to my F1, just with fewer available accessories (focusing screens, motor drives, etc.), no interchangeable viewfinder, and no 1/2000s speed, but still purely mechanical SLR. My girlfriend has one I borrowed from time to time before getting my F1. Equally great to shoot and a tad lighter than mine!

 

[koraks]

I guess (as stupid as it might sound) something could have also been in front of the lens, maybe some kind of web I don't recall being there.

Not stupid at all, and it would definitely explain what we're seeing here. Perhaps you attempted to photograph through some kind of fence. Usually, on railway flyovers in urban areas there's some kind of protection against people falling/climbing over railings etc. Like this:

 

[neilt3]

Not stupid at all, and it would definitely explain what we're seeing here. Perhaps you attempted to photograph through some kind of fence. Usually, on railway flyovers in urban areas there's some kind of protection against people falling/climbing over railings etc. Like this:
View attachment 375481

I would say the first two images were definitely shot through wire mesh .
I would say possibly at two different apertures, as one is stronger than the other .
No idea what could cause the marking in the third image .

 

[cliveh]

Can you give a detailed explanation of how you process the film from start to finish?

 

[robonfilm]

Perhaps you attempted to photograph through some kind of fence.

Yeah, probably there was some kind of fence I don't remember. This would explain the random dark marks, especially the horizontal ones.

I would say possibly at two different apertures, as one is stronger than the other .

I remember that for sure I was using a small aperture to achieve DOF, so that's very likely

 

[robonfilm]

Can you give a detailed explanation of how you process the film from start to finish?

Sure. first I loaded the roll in a Paterson tank. Developed (as I always do with fuji acros II) in Rodinal 1+50, then stop and fixer bath by Bellini (both freshly mixed). Then I put ars imago wetting agent directly in the tank, swirled it a bit, and hung it in the shower for drying. What you see are the scans made with a plustek machine. The only differences from what I normally do that I can think of are the temperature difference between the different baths (nothing dramatic, probably less than 5°C) and the fact that I started agitating a little later than what I wanted because initially the lid didn't properly close.

 

[cliveh]

Did you put the central core into the spiral before putting the loaded spiral in the tank?